Saturday, February 7

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Sydney woman charged over alleged murder and dismemberment of husband
World News

Sydney woman charged over alleged murder and dismemberment of husband

Photo: 123RF WARNING: This story contains graphic content that some readers may find upsetting. A woman has been charged over the alleged murder and dismemberment of her husband in Sydney's southwest last year. NSW Police launched a missing persons investigation after 62-year-old Mamdouh Noufl was reported missing by family and friends in July 2023. Noufl had not been seen since May of that year. Homicide squad detectives took over the case in January after police deemed the disappearance of Noufl to be suspicious. On Thursday, 53-year-old Nirmeen Noufl was arrested and a crime scene warrant was executed at her and her husband's home in Greenacre. Nirmeen Noufl was taken into custody at Bankstown Police Station and charged with murder yesterday morning. Detective Superintendent Daniel Do...
Toilet queues disproportionately impact women: What Australians plans to do about unfair loo queues
World News

Toilet queues disproportionately impact women: What Australians plans to do about unfair loo queues

By Sarah McLean, ABC Not enough loos? It's a problem worth solving, Australia's Building Codes authority says, and it could deliver health and economic benefits as well as pluses for comfort and equity. Photo: Unsplash/ Jonathan Taylor New analysis shows women are 34 times more likely than men to be queued for bathrooms A researcher says there often are not enough cubicles for women to use In Australia, the Australian Building Codes Board wants to reduce the problem by imposing revised standards that would increase the minimum number of cubicles in women's bathrooms in some new buildings, including theatres and cinemas. A slow and painful crawl towards the bathroom in an endless queue is a situation most women would rather avoid. But for theatre entertainer Libby Trainor Parker, it...
Royal Enfield Himalayan 450 – engineered to take the rough with the smooth
Life Style

Royal Enfield Himalayan 450 – engineered to take the rough with the smooth

Royal Enfield pulled off quite a coup when it launched its Himalayan 411 in 2016; oozing with rugged adventure vibes, it found a genuinely enthusiastic following and was a sales success.It wasn’t perfect of course. It was a little crude in places and certainly not fast, but it was fun, capable enough off-road and could be fitted with bespoke alloy panniers for long trips, even if it wasn’t a great motorway cruiser.Now it’s been overhauled from the ground up; engine, suspension and frame have all been redesigned, with the team learning from the old model. It’s a refined gem now and makes quite a visual impression - especially when decked out in the fancy ‘Kamet White’ paint job (five colours are available) and with a full suite of luggage.In place of the air-cooled 411 single making 24.5 bh...
Heart attacks, strokes account for 3.9 million deaths annually in Southeast Asia
Health

Heart attacks, strokes account for 3.9 million deaths annually in Southeast Asia

Heart attacks and strokes are a global health challenge, accounting for 3.9 million deaths annually, in the Southeast Asia Region, including India, said the World Health Organization on Saturday, ahead of World Heart Day.  World Heart Day is observed every year on September 29 to raise awareness about cardiovascular diseases (CVD), accelerating actions to prevent, detect early, and manage heart health. The theme this year is ‘Use Heart for Action’ “Cardiovascular diseases remain a significant global health challenge responsible for over 18 million deaths each year,” said Saima Wazed, WHO regional director for South-East Asia. “The burden is particularly heavy in the WHO South-East Asia Region, where CVDs account for 3.9 million deaths annually, primarily due to heart attacks and strokes...
Country music star Garth Brooks denies rape accusations
World News

Country music star Garth Brooks denies rape accusations

Garth Brooks speaking at the 2023 Music City Walk of Fame Induction ceremony in Nashville, Tennessee. Photo: AFP/ Jason Kempin Country star Garth Brooks has denied rape accusations against him as he returned to his Las Vegas concert residency in the wake of a sexual misconduct lawsuit filed against him. In a statement to People magazine, the 62-year-old dismissed the allegations, in which a former employee accuses Brooks of rape and repeated unwanted sexual advances, including exposing himself and groping. "I have been hassled to no end with threats, lies, and tragic tales of what my future would be if I did not write a check for many millions of dollars," Brooks said, adding his team had filed suit against the woman for extortion and defamation. "It has been like having a loaded gun wa...
The building report showed a problem – what do I do? – Ask Susan
Business

The building report showed a problem – what do I do? – Ask Susan

Photo: RNZ Send your questions to susan.edmunds@rnz.co.nz I'm currently in the process of buying my first house. The building report has shown some problems with the house that need to be fixed - like a hole in the roof - but it's not enough to make me want to pull out of the purchase. Can I ask the seller to cut the price? Assuming your offer was conditional on a building report, you can use an unsatisfactory one as a reason for pulling out of the purchase. But there are options, if that's not what you want to do. You could ask your lawyer to negotiate with the seller's lawyer to have the repairs done for you before you buy the house, or you could ask for a price reduction. You'll need to be willing to show them the report. There is no obligation on the vendor to do either, but it's wo...
Five Czech kids in hospital over TikTok ‘piercing challenge’
World News

Five Czech kids in hospital over TikTok ‘piercing challenge’

Photo: CFOTO / NurPhoto via AFP A Prague hospital said Friday it was treating five children who had swallowed magnets following a "piercing challenge" they had found on TikTok. The children placed sphere-shaped magnets at the tip of their tongues to imitate piercing and then swallowed them by accident, the Prague-Motol hospital said in a statement. "One patient was lucky enough to excrete the magnets easily, but other patients remain in hospital and two are likely to undergo acute surgeries today," added the hospital in the Czech capital. The hospital said patients who swallowed several magnets or a magnet and a metal object ran the risk of the objects connecting inside the body. "They may pull the stomach and the intestine towards each other and damage them or even cause perforation or ...
US President Joe Biden warns Donald Trump may not peacefully concede election
World News

US President Joe Biden warns Donald Trump may not peacefully concede election

US President Joe Biden warns that Republican candidate Donald Trump could refuse to accept the outcome o the election. Photo: TANNEN MAURY / AFP US President Joe Biden says he is confident the upcoming presidential election will be fairly conducted, but he warned that Republican candidate Donald Trump and his running mate could refuse to accept the outcome. "I'm confident it will be free and fair. I don't know whether it will be peaceful. The things that Trump has said, and the things that he said last time out, when he didn't like the outcome of the election, were very dangerous," Biden said. Biden said it was notable that Trump's running mate, US Senator JD Vance, would not confirm during this week's vice presidential debate that he would accept the outcome of the vote next month. Tru...
Adah Sharma to play a lawyer in upcoming web series ‘Reeta Sanyal’
Entertainment, Movies

Adah Sharma to play a lawyer in upcoming web series ‘Reeta Sanyal’

A lawyer, a detective, and a chameleon taking on cases that will make sure you’re at the edge of your seats! Disney+ Hotstar is bringing you a thrilling new show, ‘Reeta Sanyal’, starring the fierce and fabulous Adah Sharma. Join Reeta as she dives into a whirlwind of cases navigating through complex waters of justice. With her sharp mind and chameleon-like skills, will she be able to steer through the tumultuous game of justice?  Adah Sharma is happy to not get typecast Adah Sharma said, "I`ve always wanted to play a character like Reeta Sanyal. I`ve been fortunate to not be typecast and got to play characters – some admirable, some scary, some sweet and many unlike me but the minute I read the script for Reeta Sanyal, I knew this was the show for me. As actors we have to do different...
Haitian gang kills at least 70 people as thousands flee, United Nations says
World News

Haitian gang kills at least 70 people as thousands flee, United Nations says

People wait for a food distribution in a displaced persons camp at the Lycée Marie Jeanne in Port-au-Prince. Photo: AFP / CLARENS SIFFROY Some 3,000 flee Pont-Sonde as international support lags Over 700,000 displaced, more than 5 million face severe hunger Gang leader says attack intended to worsen food crisis No progress on justice for massacres in recent years Armed men belonging to the Gran Grif gang killed at least 70 people, including three infants, and forced at least 3000 to flee as they swept through a Haitian town shooting automatic rifles at residents, the United Nations (UN) says. "We are horrified by Thursday's gang attacks in the town of Pont-Sonde in Haiti's Artibonite department," UN spokesperson Thameen Al-Kheetan said in a statement. At least another 16 people we...